Taylor said sport photography was his favourite genre to shoot and he had been chasing the award for a long time.

"The other guys' portfolios were from the Olympics but mine was more diverse and all shot in the Waikato," he said. "I think about my pictures and try and plan more than others, looking for angles and lighting that have not been shot before."

Anderson, who joined the Times in 1997, said he was humbled and honoured by the award, which has been won previously by Times sports editor Evan Pegden.

"It was hugely satisfying to get recognised for the commitment we have at the Times for covering sport in the Waikato and I owe a big thanks to all my colleagues, sportspeople and my family who have helped me do my job," Anderson said.

"The awards are a great achievement for two longstanding staff members who put in countless hours on sporting sidelines across the region each week," Times editor Jonathan MacKenzie said.

"I've always been a lover of sport and it's great to get national recognition for the type of coverage that matters to our readers."

The awards, sponsored by Sport New Zealand (previously Sparc), attracted about 200 past and present media and sporting celebrities.

These were the 32nd NZSJA awards, the 18th under the patronage of Sport New Zealand, and the 12th year they have been known as the Sir Terry McLean National Sports Journalism Awards.